Drier



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,880

F. W. CUTLER DRIER Filed Jan. 25, 192? 2l LA- .L- mwnmiwa M591@ x 6 Mcm -llll l AIATES UNITE DR lll.

y A, '1,699,880- ,PATENT OFFICE'.

rnAnK w. cUTLnR, orv ronTLANn, aaneen, AssIeNon To oUTLnn'MANUFAcTUny ING COMPANY, or PORTLAND, onneoiv, A PARTNERSHIP.

Application led January 25, 1927. Serial No. 163,529.

My invention relates to driers in gen throughout the'kseveral views thereof, and in i which:

lll

hig. 1 is a plan view of my device, gwith some parts broken away.'

lBig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, with parts broken away. l

Fig. 3 isma transverse section ,of the device.

lEig

also

, 7 d is an enlarged detail of one of the l rollers and the fabric apron.

in the drawings.

.ln Vgeneral my device consists of a conveyor andan endless apron of fabricmaterial passing over members of said conveyor, means formoving said apron, and a wringer for drying the apron. f 'lhe preferred form of vconveyor is the spiral roller type. inwide use upon fruit sorting machines. lt' consists of a plural'- ity of parallel rollers spirall wound with cord, mounted in a suitable erated b suitable gears, such as bevel gears 7, whic in turn may be operated y a sprocket and chain 8 from any convenient source of power, the source not being shown i l elow the rollers 5 and parallel thereto are a series of rollers.9, one of said rollers 9 beingpositioned iediately beneath the space between each ofthe rollers 5, as shownv hi 3. .dt each end of the rollers 5 and 9, an freely mounted upon the shafts which pport the same, are cham; sprockets 10 which support an endless chain 11. Said chain runs alternately over .the sprockets` respective to the rollers 5 and beneath :those` respective to rollers 9, as shown 1n Fig. 3,

and'rrom the outer 'of the rollers oit' passes downward around a wringer device hereinalter to be Adescribed anda' tighteiier 12, as sho in lFig. 3. ll/lounted upon these `two chains and pos'tioned therebetween is a dry ing fabric 13 which travels with the chains.

' llfhis fabric apron is allowed f considerable slach between the chaiusso thatv the spiral cords 6 will raise the apron as it passes over the rollers 5 and thereby have a longitudinal conveying edect upon the fruit.

'Beneath the rollers 9 is disposed a wringer consisting of rubber covered rollers. The upper roller 14 is provided at each end with chain sprockets 15 by which the chains 11 are operated. This roller is operated by any convenient mechanism, that shown being an electric motor 16 with chain gears and belts connecting it with the roller 14k. The second wringer roller 15 is mounted beneath the roller 14 and is held in con tact therewith by equalizers 17, a spring 18 providing the necessary pressure between the wringer rollers.4 The fabric apron passes between these wringer rollers and is.

apron 13, whereby it is removed fromthe fruit. J

'llo remove thefruit at the end of the conveyor from its position between the rollers to the surface of the fruitexposed to the between each of the rollers 5 and 'i 5 ll provide downwardly curvedv lingers 2O f `secured upon the frame and extending into the spaces between said rollers. To assist the passage of the fruit upward upon the to rotate transversely of the device at the end thereof adjacent the fingers 20. rlhe blades .21 of 'said addle wheelare preferably constructed o? as' rubber, canvas or leather, "they Contact with the fruit as shown- -in Fig. 2 toassist it upon paddle wheel is operated conveniently by a chain and sprocket 22 connected to any .convenient source of power, thatD for example which drives the rollers 5.'

My device may be made of any size, and constructed of any materials deemed con or the like, and

venient and suitable for a ,device of this` character, and while I haveillustrated endl-,1.10

ngers ll provide a paddlewheel mounted yieldable material such the ngers 20. Said` 'i described a form of construction and arrangement of parts found desirable in materializing my invention, I wish to include in this application all mechanical equivalents and substitutes that may fairly be considered to come Within the scope and purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having disclosed my invention so that others may be enabled to construct and to use the same, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. VIn a drier: a plurality of conveyor rolls; an apron of fabric material moving over said rolls; and members movingin the same direction as said rolls and upon which members said apron is mounted.

2. In a drier: a plurality of conveyor rolls; a plurality of rolls beneath said conveyor rolls and parallel thereto; an apron of fabric material moving over said conveyor rolls and beneath said latter rolls; and means to move said apron.

3. In a drier: av plurality of conveyor rolls; a plurality of rolls beneath said conveyor rolls and parallel therewith; an apron of fabric material moving over said conveyor rolls and beneath said latter rolls; and endless flexible members at each end of said rolls traveling in the same direction as the rolls and upon Which said apron is mounted.

4. In a drier: a plurality of conveyor rolls; a plurality of rolls beneath said conveyor rolls and parallel therewith; an apronof fabric material moving over said conveyor rolls and beneath said latter rolls; endless flexible members at each end of said rolls traveling in the same direction as the rolls.

6. In a drier: a plurality of conveyor rolls; a plurality of rolls beneath said conveyor rolls and parallel thereto; an endless fabric apron moving over said conveyor rolls and beneath said latter rolls; fingers at the dis charge ends of said conveyor rolls extending between adjacent rolls to lift material from said apron; and a paddle wheel above said fingers to move material thereupon.

7. In a drier: a plurality of conveyor rolls; a plurality of rolls beneath said conveyor rolls and parallel thereto; an endless fabric apron moving above said conveyorl rolls and beneath said latter rolls; and orificed pipes above said latter rolls adapted to receive hot air and deliver the air in jets upwardly between said conveyor rolls toimpinge upon material` thereupon.

8. In a drier: conveyor rolls to receive fruit; a traveling fabric apron disposed between the fruit and said rolls; and means to move said apron independently of said rolls. y

- 9.- In a drier: conveyor rolls to receive fruit; a traveling fabric apron disposed between the fruit and said rolls; means to move said apron independently of said rolls; and wringer rolls to receive said apron therebetween and dry the same as it travels.

l0. In a drier: conveyor rolls to receive fruit; a' tinveling` fabric apron disposed be tween the fruit and said rolls; means to move said apron independently of said rolls; and oriliced pipes to convey hot air and in'ipinge the air upon the fruit in jets.

il. In a drier: conveyor rolls to receive fruit; a traveling fabric apron disposed bctween the fruit and said rolls; means to move said apron independently of said rolls; mea-ns to remove accunuilated moisture from indentations upon the fruit and deposit it upon said apron; and means to dry said apron as it travels.

In witness whereof I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto affix my signature at Iortland. county of Multnomah. State of Ui'egon, this 31st day of Dec., 1926.

FRANK W. CUTLER. 

